The diversity of the American population is one of the nation's greatest assets -- and one of its greatest challenges. A disparate burden of illness, disease, and death persists among racial and ethnic populations and the medically underserved. Expanding the cadre of science researchers from these groups is a strategy in eliminating health disparities. One mechanism is through the creation of an environment that encourages, nurtures, and values research. Traditionally, minority-serving institutions have focused on teaching and service. Strengthening the role of research requires resources often not available. NCCU, through its mission and leadership, is preparing to increase its roles in the sciences. This project makes available a recognizable resource that enables faculty to successfully compete for funding, conduct studies, build a collegial network, and collaborate with the non-academic scientific community. The objectives of this project are to: 1) establish an Office of Research Development that enhances and compliments the work of the Office of Sponsored Research, 2) create a cadre of active science researchers able to submit competitive applications to NIH, other federal agencies, private foundations and organizations, 3) develop a regional consortium of minority-serving institutions to collaborate on biomedical and biobehavioral research efforts and build a collegial network; and 4) assess the outcomes of the program using formative and summative data.